I haven't had much to say lately, but this topic is right
down my gullet:
Most Canadian whiskeys don't have much rye in them. Though
they call their whiskey "rye" generically in Canada, most of
them don't qualify as rye in the US. To be labeled rye in the
US, it's gotta have more than 50% rye in the mash, as it
should be.
Old Overholt (or old overcoat, as afficianados have
affectionately nicknamed it) is a good, smooth, light bodied
starter rye. I actually think it works better in cocktails
than higher priced ryes. At about 15 bucks a pop, every home
should have a bottle handy. if you get a Sazerac in New
Orleans, Old Overholt is the rye you're gonna get.
For straight sipping, try the 20 buck range Rittenhouse
B.I.B. (careful--100 proof). And, before you die, try the
pinnacle of ryes: Black Maple Hill 23 year aged rye. It's
costly but oh so damn good.
This is Jack Bettridge's excellent version of what happened
to rye:
"During Prohibition, rye, like its straight whiskey cousin,
Bourbon, disappeared, replaced by Scotch and Canadian
whiskies, which were smuggled in, and moonshine. After
Prohibition's repeal, American distillers were at a
disadvantage. Drinkers had developed a taste for foreign
spirits and what alcohol Americans did make needed years to
mature. Consumers could either wait four years for American
straight whiskeys or enjoy Canadian, a blended, rye-based
whisky, right away. Predictably, many rye customers defected
to Canadian, especially since some blended American whiskeys
that were rushed to market were little better than rotgut. At
the same time tastes were veering toward light drinks --
another advantage for blended whiskeys. Bourbon, with its
sweeter, more assertive flavor, became the standard bearer
for straight whiskey enthusiasts. People began to refer to
Canadian and other blended whiskey as rye, and the once-proud
spirit faded into obscurity in the wave of confusion. The
fact that Chandler framed rye as a tough guy drink for his
hard-living detective as early as the '30s indicates that it
wasn't at the center of popular American tastes even
then.
Soon rye production, which had so long been centered in
Pennsylvania and Maryland, became an adjunct to the Bourbon
business. By 1984, when Michter's Distillery in
Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, was shuttered, the making of
rye in America was all done in Kentucky, and at only three
distilleries at that. The fabled Old Overholt, named for a
Pennsylvania farmer, had become a Jim Beam product, and Wild
Turkey and Heaven Hill put out their own ryes.
But with the growth of small-batch and single-barrel Bourbons
in the last 20 years has come a smaller resurgence in rye,
which we are now enjoying."
cheers, D.A.
--- Richard Moore <
moorich@aol.com> wrote:
> Actually, Rye is making a comeback on the high
price
> end of the
> scale with small distillers turning out bottles
that
> cost $50 and
> up. About a year ago, most of the major
US
> newspapers carried
> features on the companies. Intrigued, I bought
a
> bottle of Old
> Potrero and it was quite smooth.
>
> Historically, most the Canadian whiskey
brands
> (Canadian Club, Crown
> Royal, etc.) were made from rye. I assume
they
> still are.
>
> Richard Moore
>
> --- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Jeff Vorzimmer"
>
> <jvorzimmer@...> wrote:
> >
> > > I thought I'd try some, and there doesn't
appear
> to be much
> available
> > > right now. Just some by Jim Beam, which
is
> hardly the bottom-
> shelf
> > > stuff most hardboiled characters seem to
swill
> by the
> bucketful. In
> > > all the stuff I'm reading now, it's the
ultimate
> working stiff's
> > > drink, but now it appears to be something
of a
> curiosity.
> >
> > Rye got eclipsed by bourbon as the American
whisky
> of choice. I
> still drink
> > it. Down here in Texas we get Old Overholt,
which
> is a brand
> that's
> > mentioned in hardboiled crime fiction.
Actually
> rye is making a
> bit of a
> > comeback down here with the resurgence
in
> popularity of the
> Sazerac cocktail
> > at local joints such as Opal
Divine's.
> >
>
>
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